The Hershey Bears picked a good spot for their high point of the first half of the 2011-12 regular season.

It was the actual halfway point of the 76-game schedule.

Game 38 at Charlotte marked the first time the Bears won a contest they trailed after two periods. They followed up by doing it a second time in Game 39 at Binghamton last Saturday.

The club with the AHL’s top points percentage (.705) boasts a lot of strong statistics. Those two comebacks, which stretched their winning streak to a season-high five, best bespeak how a club that began the season with on-paper Calder Cup promise is gelling into one with on-ice Calder Cup promise.

“You could see,” forward Ryan Potulny said, “just the feeling in the locker room [at Charlotte] kind of was like no panic: We’ve got this; we just have to stick to our game plan.

“I can see the team coming together on and off the ice. That’s key for us. I think everyone in the league knows we have enough skill. It’s the intangibles that make teams championship teams.”

Hershey has gone 15-2-1-1 since the start of December.

“We’re playing more as a group,” winger Graham Mink said. “I think everyone is kind of learning their identity. It’s moving in the right direction.”

In large part, the struggles of a 3-4-1-2 November were attributable to roster attrition. The Bears played much of the month without Potulny (injured), Kyle Greentree (injured), Matt Ford (injured) and Cody Eakin (Washington recall), who are all first-line-caliber players.

“We had some trials and tribulations, as a lot of teams do, early,” head coach Mark French said.

“I think through the month of December and certainly the start of January, we’ve been able to find ways to get points and win hockey games. We’re still mindful that we have a way to go.”

In addition to points percentage, Hershey ranks No. 1 in the AHL in goals (150), power play (30.1 percent) and attendance (188,793).

The history-making 2009-10 Calder Cup club had the No. 1 power play and penalty kill in the AHL. The current club’s PP is converting at a rate almost 10 points higher than the 2009-10 club (20.7), and its PK ranks No. 4 (85.6).

“If you want to compare the teams, I think, you can compare the power play and the top two lines,” centerman Keith Aucoin said. “I think our top two lines can score at any time. Our third and fourth line go out there and grind it out and they chip in as well.”

AHL scoring leader Aucoin (64 points) is making a run at his second league MVP award in three seasons.

“Every night he’s putting up points and he’s giving us a chance to win,” Mink said. “Yeah, he’s playing great and is a big reason why our power play is having as much success as it is.”

Hershey also ranks No. 1 in the AHL in penalty minutes (922).

“If they are undisciplined in nature and not a part of the game plan of playing aggressive and being assertive, then it can be a problem,” French said.

“So it’s something that we’re mindful of. We’ve thought our discipline, for the most part, lately has been improved and we haven’t put ourselves in a situation where we’ve had to kill off too many minors.”

A prime aim for the second half will be improving goals allowed per game. The Bears rank in the bottom half of the league (2.92), and goalies Braden Holtby (.903) and Dany Sabourin (.907) are outside the top 20 in save percentage.

The blue line, which has lost Dmitry Orlov and Tomas Kundratek to Washington recall, has demonstrated depth. A veteran AHL defenseman is a piece that theoretically could be added at the trade deadline.

“Things are looking really good for the D and the team in general right now,” defenseman Patrick McNeill said.

“When we had those winning teams a few years ago, we had so much confidence in what we were doing. I think this team is really starting to show signs of confidence in ourselves and in our game and in our system.”

My first-half team awards:

MVP: Aucoin. On pace for 110 assists, which would shatter the AHL single-season record (89).

Top defenseman: McNeill. Has already tied his career high for goals (eight) and is eight points from tying his career high for points (35).

Top rookie: Eakin. Has averaged .83 points per game in his 18 games with Hershey.

Most improved: Kundratek. Scored six goals in 21 games after his trade acquisition from the N.Y. Rangers/Connecticut and then got recalled by Washington to make his NHL debut.

Unsung hero: Jacob Micflikier. Has put up all-star-caliber numbers (15-27-42) while answering the call for a variety of roles.

Related Stories

Featured Story

Get 'Today's Front Page' in your inbox

This newsletter is sent every morning at 6 a.m. and includes the morning's top stories, a full list of obituaries, links to comics and puzzles and the most recent news, sports and entertainment headlines.

optionalCheck here if you do not want to receive additional email offers and information.See our privacy policy

Thank you for signing up for 'Today's Front Page'

To view and subscribe to any of our other newsletters, please click here.